{"id":20128,"date":"2025-07-31T00:59:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T00:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/?post_type=blog&p=20128"},"modified":"2025-07-31T00:59:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T00:59:01","slug":"3-key-considerations-after-a-fire-what-can-be-salvaged-and-what-to-throw-out","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/blog\/3-key-considerations-after-a-fire-what-can-be-salvaged-and-what-to-throw-out\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Key Considerations After a Fire: What Can be Salvaged and What to Throw Out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After a fire in your Fairfield or Westchester County home or business, some of the hardest decisions you\u2019ll need to make are deciding what to save and what to throw away. It\u2019ll be obvious that some things need to be tossed, but other items may not be so clear cut \u2013 are they salvageable or not? You might be torn between wanting to save money and yet also recognizing the need to stay safe. The following are some tips to help you make wise decisions. Remember, you are not alone in this process there are experts that can help along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Food<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If food has been exposed to smoke and or firefighting chemicals, throw it away. This includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and produce. You\u2019ll also want to toss any opened packages and containers, as well as food packaged in foil, plastic, cardboard, paper, cloth, and screw-topped containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cans of food may outwardly look fine, but high heat may re-cook the food inside. This can activate bacteria and cause the food to spoil, making it unhealthy and dangerous to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But won\u2019t food inside refrigerators and freezers be unharmed?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They might be, but sometimes the seals on them aren\u2019t air-tight, allowing smoke to leak in and damage food. Also, if the fire caused the electricity to fail at your Fairfield or Westchester County<\/a> property for more than two hours, it\u2019s likely that the food inside spoiled and should be discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medicines & Cosmetics\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The potency of drugs can be destroyed by hot temperatures, according to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)<\/a>. If you’re unsure whether your medicines have been subjected to excessive heat, it\u2019s best to replace them. This is also the case if they\u2019ve been exposed to firefighting chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to cosmetics, high temperatures can change their makeup (composition) without any outward signs. This could cause them to damage your hair and skin. Additionally, they can soak up toxic fumes that are inherent with all fires, which isn\u2019t something you want to put on your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clothing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Clothes, bedding, and other fabrics in your Fairfield or Westchester County property can frequently be cleaned and disinfected after a fire if they\u2019ve only been subjected to smoke. But if they\u2019ve been burned or scorched, they should be discarded. Be especially cautious with children\u2019s and babies\u2019 clothing, as their skin and respiratory systems are more sensitive to lingering toxins and chemical residues that may not be fully removed through standard washing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about clothes stored in plastic bags, garment covers, or tightly packed in drawers and closets? Aren\u2019t they protected from smoke deposits and odors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, no. During a fire, heated air expands rapidly, forcing smoke and soot particles into every possible space\u2014including closets, drawers, and even inside plastic coverings. Once the fire is extinguished and the temperature drops, air begins to circulate again. Garments trapped in plastic, with odor particles now sealed inside, are unable to go through the natural airing-out process. As a result, the odor becomes embedded in the fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another problem is the plastic itself. Not only does it absorb and trap smoke odors, but it can also react with heat and smoke residues, releasing additional volatile compounds. The plastic should be removed and discarded immediately to prevent further contamination of the fabrics it encased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never attempt to clean or salvage any item that could compromise your health or the safety of others in your home. This includes items that are porous, heavily soiled with soot, or were exposed to toxic smoke for prolonged periods. When in doubt\u2014throw it out<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you live in Fairfield or Westchester County and have questions about what can be salvaged after a fire, or if you need expert fire restoration services, contact PuroClean of Wilton | Ridgefield<\/strong> at 475.277.2400<\/a><\/strong>. You can also find helpful tips, safety guidance, and information on our services at our website. We\u2019re here to help you recover safely and restore peace of mind. website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a fire in your Fairfield or Westchester County home or business, some of the hardest decisions you\u2019ll need to make are deciding what to save and what to throw<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":583,"featured_media":20129,"template":"","blog-category":[11],"class_list":["post-20128","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog-category-fire-restoration"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/20128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/20128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/wilton-ct-puroclean-wilton-ridgefield\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-category?post=20128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}